Fitness questions and answers for October 1, 2008

Form & Fitness Q & A

Got a question about fitness, training, recovery from injury or a related subject? Drop us a line at fitness@cyclingnews.com. Please include as much information about yourself as possible, including your age, sex, and type of racing or riding. Due to the volume of questions we receive, we regret that we are unable to answer them all.

Carrie Cheadle, MA (www.carriecheadle.com) is a Sports Psychology consultant who has dedicated her career to helping athletes of all ages and abilities perform to their potential. Carrie specialises in working with cyclists, in disciplines ranging from track racing to mountain biking. She holds a bachelors degree in Psychology from Sonoma State University as well as a masters degree in Sport Psychology from John F. Kennedy University.

Jon Heidemann (www.peaktopeaktraining.com) is a USAC Elite Certified cycling coach with a BA in Health Sciences from the University of Wyoming. The 2001 Masters National Road Champion has competed at the Elite level nationally and internationally for over 14 years. As co-owner of Peak to Peak Training Systems, Jon has helped athletes of all ages earn over 84 podium medals at National & World Championship events during the past 8 years.

Kelby Bethards, MD received a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Iowa State University (1994) before obtaining an M.D. from the University of Iowa College of Medicine in 2000. Has been a racing cyclist 'on and off' for 20 years, and when time allows, he races Cat 3 and 35+. He is a team physician for two local Ft Collins, CO, teams, and currently works Family Practice in multiple settings: rural, urgent care, inpatient and the like.

Fiona Lockhart (www.trainright.com) is a USA Cycling Expert Coach, and holds certifications from USA Weightlifting (Sports Performance Coach), the National Strength and Conditioning Association (Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach), and the National Academy for Sports Nutrition (Primary Sports Nutritionist). She is the Sports Science Editor for Carmichael Training Systems, and has been working in the strength and conditioning and endurance sports fields for over 10 years; she's also a competitive mountain biker.

David Fleckenstein, MPT (www.physiopt.com) is a physical therapist practicing in Boise, ID. His clients have included World and U.S. champions, Olympic athletes and numerous professional athletes. He received his B.S. in Biology/Genetics from Penn State and his Master's degree in Physical Therapy from Emory University. He specializes in manual medicine treatment and specific retraining of spine and joint stabilization musculature. He is a former Cat I road racer and Expert mountain biker.

Pamela Hinton has a bachelor's degree in Molecular Biology and a doctoral degree in Nutritional Sciences, both from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She did postdoctoral training at Cornell University and is now an assistant professor of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Missouri-Columbia where she studies the effects of iron deficiency on adaptations to endurance training and the consequences of exercise-associated changes in menstrual function on bone health.

Steve Owens (www.coloradopremiertraining.com) is a USA Cycling certified coach, exercise physiologist and owner of Colorado Premier Training. Steve has worked with both the United States Olympic Committee and Guatemalan Olympic Committee as an Exercise Physiologist. He holds a B.S. in Exercise & Sports Science and currently works with multiple national champions, professionals and World Cup level cyclists.

Richard Stern (www.cyclecoach.com) is Head Coach of Richard Stern Training, a Level 3 Coach with the Association of British Cycling Coaches, a Sports Scientist, and a writer. He has been professionally coaching cyclists and triathletes since 1998 at all levels from professional to recreational. He is a leading expert in coaching with power output and all power meters. Richard has been a competitive cyclist for 20 years

Andy Bloomer (www.cyclecoach.com) is an Associate Coach and sport scientist with Richard Stern Training. He is a member of the Association of British Cycling Coaches (ABCC) and a member of the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES). In his role as Exercise Physiologist at Staffordshire University Sports Performance Centre, he has conducted physiological testing and offered training and coaching advice to athletes from all sports for the past 4 years. Andy has been a competitive cyclist for many years.

Michael Smartt (www.wholeathlete.com) is an Associate Coach with Whole Athlete™. He holds a Masters degree in exercise physiology, is a USA Cycling Level I (Elite) Coach and is certified by the NSCA (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist). Michael has more than 10 years competitive experience, primarily on the road, but also in cross and mountain biking. He is currently focused on coaching road cyclists from Jr. to elite levels, but also advises triathletes and Paralympians. Michael is a strong advocate of training with power and has over 5 years experience with the use and analysis of power meters. Michael also spent the 2007 season as the Team Coach for the Value Act Capital Women's Cycling Team.

My husband's feet point out. One foot in particular points out at such an angle that his heel hits the crank arm with each revolution. If we try to straighten his feet so he doesn't hit the crank arm, then his inner knee suffers quite a bit of pain to the point where he has almost given up cycling all together. Are there any spacers or something mechanical that can be added between the pedals and the crank so he feet can rest more naturally on the pedal without hitting the cranks?

I have been noticing lately that, after hard rides with intervals, my calves are tighter than if I were just pedaling normally on a recovery or aerobic ride. I am 6'3" and run 175mm cranks. I was wondering if that length is too short, thus forcing me to "toe pedal" more frequently, as my limbs are looking for that extra 5 mm on their own, due to the size. I have been toying with getting 180mm cranks, but have heard answers on both ends of the spectrum. Any advice you can give me would be amazing!

Too-short cranks can indeed cause some excess tension as you force your toes to follow the too-small circle, but that effect is very subtle if the crank length is only off by 5 mm. Have you already set your cleats such that the pedal axle is behind your 1st metatarsal head (the bony bump on the medial side of your foot at the base of the big toe). The distance behind should be in the vicinity of 10 mm for a size 45 or 46 shoe, and 1 extra or less mm for each two additional or less shoe sizes. If the cleats are already set properly and you still feel that excess tension in the calves, it would be worth experimenting with crank length.

Many local bike shops use a sloppier "put the pedal spindle under the ball of the foot" approach which often puts the cleats farther forward than my recommendation. Having the cleats farther forward increases the lever arm from ankle to pedal-contact, increasing calf tension during pedaling above what it would be with a shorter arm. It's like standing on your toes. My suspicion is that the excess tension in your case is small enough that you don't feel it during lower-intensity riding, but it becomes noticeable when you go harder. If your cleats are indeed set per the recommendation, it would be time to play with new crank arms. If there's any way you can borrow some rather than plunking down cash though, I'd suggest you do that since the longer cranks may or may not fix your problem, and they may induce new problems as well.

As background, I've had a tear of the meniscus in both of my knees a few years ago, which may have been brought on by running. As a result, I had arthroscopic surgery on my left knee three years ago and a year later tore a meniscus in my right knee and had the same subsequent surgery. At the time of my second surgery, I was diagnosed with cartilage deterioration in my right knee. Since that time, I've rebuilt my strength and conditioning and have turned to biking as my sport of choice. Until recently, I have been pain free, healthy and fit so this has been a real depressing setback for me.

After looking at an x ray, my doctor (the same one who performed the operations previously) suggested the recent pain and discomfort in my knee is a result of this cartilage deterioration and he suggested I try a course of Synvisc. I've heard of the treatment and was wondering if you had any pro or con feelings regarding this course of treatment or perhaps had other alternative suggestions to share.